Can opener



Patented Sept. 2, 1941 UNITED 2 Claims.

This invention relates to can openers, and has for its object providing a material improvement in the ordinary types of can openers now in use, so as to simplify the operation and increase the efiectiveness thereof, and so as to require less force in operation.

Of the accompanying drawing, Fig. l is a top view of a can opener which embodies the features of my invention; Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof; and Fig. 3 is a bottom view thereof. 7

The can opener illustrated by the drawing is adapted to cut out a disk of any desired size from the metal top of the can. The opener comprises a handle 35, which preferably is U shaped formed from a suitable bar. The ends of the bar are joined by means of a strip 35, and a pointed and curved lug projects from the center of the strip, the lug being adapted to be forced through the center portion of the top of the can to be opened, as is usual with can openers of this nature. Slidably mounted on the bars of the handle is a frame 38, and rotatably mounted on this frame on a shaft 49 is a cutting wheel 4|. Pivoted to the frame 38 is a handle 42, and pivoted to a flange 43 of the handle is a roller 44.

In operation, the point 31 is forced through the center of the can top 48, and the handle 35 is then turned downwardly flat against the top .of the can. The frame 38 is then slid along so that the wheel 41 is positioned against the edge of the can where it is desired to cut the top. At

t the same time the wheel 44 is operated by means of the handle 42, so as to bring the inner edge of the wheel snugly under the ordinary flange 49 of the can top 48. When the wheel 44 is so positioned by forcing the handle 42 downwardly the wheel 44 is held snugly under the flange and at the same time the cutter 4| is forced through the can top. The flange 49 thus holds the cutter so that it is not forced out of the can top during the operation. To complete the operation it is necessary only for the operator to hold the handle 42 downward and to rotate the handle 35 around the can in an ordinary manner, and the top may be thus cut out completely or partly as desired.

In order to more firmly hold the wheel 44 under the flange 49, the edge of the wheel is bevelled, as indicated, and the wheel is set at an acute angle with the handle 35 when it is in the operative position. Also the cutter wheel M is preferably positioned at an acute angle to the handle, as indicated, so as to neutralize the tendency of the handle to move outwardly as the cutting proceeds.

veniently and quickly applied to the can, and the top can be quickly and easily cut out by anyone unskilled in such matters, as the operation consists simply in rotating the handle around the top of the can. The cutter 4! is thus continually forced through the metal top by the wheel 44.

Although I have described the cutter with some detail it is to be understood that changes therein might be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention as disclosed by the following claims. For instance the wheel 4| might be replaced by a pointed fixed cutter, as the exact form of the cutter is not a part of my invention. Also the wheel 44 might be replaced by a somewhat similarly formed member fixed to the handle 42.

It will be noted from examination and. comparison of the figures, that when the handle member 35 and the lever member 42 have been brought into parallelism, so that the wheel 44 engages the shoulder on the bottom of the flange 49, the cutting wheel engages the can top close to the flange 49, and under a condition such that the handle and lever lie at right angles to the can axis (as shown in Figure 2). Furthermore, under these conditions the flange of the cutting wheel 4| will engage the flange 49 of the can in such manner as to create a honing action on the cutting wheel as the can top is cut out. The above relationship is established under the condition that the handle 35 lies at right angles to the can axis, which is the best condition for ready performance of the can opening operation.

I claim as my invention:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a can opener including a handle, a slide carrier thereon, and a lever, said handle comprising a U- shaped rod having its arms parallel to each other, a cross member joining together the free'ends of said arms, a centering pin carried by said cross member, the slide carrier comprising a sheet metal member formed to provide a top cross piece reaching between the arms of the handle, right angular end portions connected to said cross piece and having perforations to receive the rod arms aforesaid, side pieces between said right angular end portions, adapted to receive the lever therebetween, and the top cross piece having a downwardly extending central lug portion to support a cutting disk, whereby the lever support and the cutting disk support are located between the arms of the rod handle portion, together with the lever pivoted to said cross piece aforesaid, a roller When so arranged th cutter may be very conpivotallymounted on the end of said lever, and

the cutting disk pivotally carried by the downwardly extending central lug portion aforesaid, and lying between the handle rods and lying substantially parallel to the said lug portion, substantially as describedr r 2. As a new article of manufacture, a can opener including a handle, and a lever, said handle comprising a pair of parallel rods, means to join together said rods at one end, a centering pin carried by saidjoining means, a slide carrier slidably mounted on said rods, and comprising a, sheet metal member suitably formed to provide right angular corner lugs having openings to receive the handle rods and said slide having downwardly extending side portions located between the rods and adapted to receive the lever between them, and said slide also having a downwardly extending end portion reaching downwardly at an angle with respect to the plane of the rods and between'the rods and adapted to receive the journal of a cutting disk, a cutting disk journalled' thereon, and the lever pivoted to the said downwardly extending side portions, together with a roller journalled to the end of said lever in co-operative fashion with respect to the cutting disk, substantially as described.

FRANZ K. KRAG. 

